Apparatus for cleaning coffee-berries.



No. 700,327, Y Patnted May 20, I902.

w. A. HAVSTINGS (\1 N. u. HARRINGTON. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COFFEE BERRIES.

(Application filed Jan. 14, 1901.) (No Model.)

m: mums PETERIS co. PNQYQLITNCL. WAMINGTON, 0,-6.

UNITED STATES nt-TENT onwa- WILLIAM A. HASTINGS, or SAN FRANCISCO, AND NETALJ. HARRINGTON, or 7 OAKLAND, oALIroRmmAssie-Norts-roeEo. W. OASWELL COMPANY, OF, a I

SA FRANoIs'oo,cAL FoRNiA;ACORPORA ION oF-cA rFoRmA; ,i

= APPARATUS F R-CLEANING COFFEE BERBiI -Z S.

SPECIFIGATmN-formingpart ,of'LettersBatentiNo. 700,327, dated. Ma 20, 19 02.

Application filed ma 1431901. sriaiito'i 43,167. a. model.)

T aZZ whom it jn'rty concern/.

Be it known that W6,WILLIAM AflIAsTmes,

. production of an apparatus by means of which the silk skin or enveloping. covering for the berry may be removed without injury to the v berry, and this at an expense not exceeding that at present required in order to polish the berry preparatory to placing the same upon the market. the silk skin the present apparatus removes 2c dirt or foreign matter adhering to .the berry, and likewise polishes the same. Consequentlyafter treatment of the berries by the hereinafter-described apparatus it is not requiredthat the berries be subjected to'the ordinary polishing process. 7 r

In order to comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming a portion of the present application, whereinis an end View in elevation viewed'frorn the feed end of the apparatus.

The letter A is used to indicate any suitable.

5 style of frame, within bearings a and a of which work, respectively, the upper and lowershafts A"and A The shaft A supports a cylinder, drum, or casing l3,..which.casing-is.

loosely mounted thereon. The casingis preferably'composed of reticulated materiahal-v though, if 7 so desired, it may consist of per-'- Said casing orcylinderj is providedwith the bearing-rings B B the forated sheet metal.

former'of' which is united to the head 13 for one end of the cylinder or casing. These bearing-rings rest upon the supporting-rolls 0, two for each end of the-cylinder or casing, and bearing-ring or circular flange B is provided with internal gear teeth I). Conse- 5o quently the same may properly be termed an In addition to the removal of Figure 1 is a front View in elevation ofthe apparatus, partly broken awaygj andFigL2" "f?internaljfgear-ring. The oppositebearing ring works against the inner face of the fixed i-he'adfC,,WhiQh head is held against m'ovem'ent by'lateh' -d, supported" by the fixed. Ebr'acket C secured to'thefr'ame A,'Fig. -l.' Tothe upper shaft Aiis secured the cylin- 'der or.casingf-D,"which cylinder or casing we term the.mixing-cylinder. This cylinder or casingisajsolid one and revolves with the shaftAfl which'shaft is driven from any suitable machinery by means of a belt passing over belt-wheel D. To this shaft is also secured belt-wheel D which is connected with belt-wheel D by means of belt D By this connection the motion of shaft A is transmitted to short shaft E, to which the belt.- wheel D is secured. To the opposite end of this shaft is secured a pinion d, which pinion I meshes with the internal teeth I) of the gearring B. By this'manuer of connection the .rnotion of shaft A is transmitted to the lower cylinder or casing B.

A is driven from any suit- The lower shaft able sourceof power y means of a power-belt- (not shown) working over belt-wheel E, secured to one end of said shaft. This shaft has'im parted thereto an op ositerotation t9 that given to the cy 1n er or casing Bl Tov that portion of the shaftA within the separating cylinder or casing B'is secured a series :of knobs or projections d, which answer as fingers for stirring the material fed therein during the rotation of the said shaft and cylinder.

The head 'E of the mixing cylinder or casing isanon-rotating one, against whichzthe open end of the Oy1lI1d6I'i,OI,-G3Slilg bears. lTlllS head-isheld against rotationin the same manner as head C'that-is,-.by meansxof a catch diwhich engages with'lugd projecting o from the head. The catchdi-works through :fixed bracketjlE projecting from the frame A "The lower catch d engages with lug d projecting from head 0'.

Into the mixing cylinder or casing D, 5 through head E leads the feed-chute'F, and intoseparating-cylinder B, through head 0, leads the chute F, Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The inner wall of the mixing chamber or casing D is provided with a series of spiralreoshaped blades F and the inner wall of the separating-chamber with a similar series of blades F These blades during the rotation of the cylinders serve to raise the material fed therein and to work the same.

i The material to be treated-that is, the coffee-berriesis fed into the upper or mixing cylinder or casing and water introduced into the same, after which a quantity of powdered absorbent is introduced to take up the undue moisture. During the rotation of the mixing cylinder or casing the material is thoroughly intermixed, after which the catch 01 is released and the head E turned upon the shaft A, so as to place the chute F over chute F. WVhen in this position, the catch is moved inward,so as to again engage with lug d and hold the head E against movement. As the mixing cylinder or casing continues its rotation the material therein will be gradually forced into the chute F by the spiral blades F which act as a worm conveyer. As delivered to the chute F the material will pass through chute F into the separating cylinder or casing B. Inasmuch as the cylinder or casing B and shaft A are driven in opposite directions the niaterialfed therein will be thoroughly ground together and the silk skin or covering of the coffee-berry previously loosened by moisture will by attrition be removed from the berries, likewise any foreign substance or dirt. The material released from the berries will by centrifugal force be discharged from the separating cylinder or casing through the outletopenings in its foraminated body, while the friction caused by the rapid stirring of the berries, together with the air drawn into the cylinder or casing, will answer to perfectly dry the berries. This rapid stirring of the berries within the separating cylinder or casing not only answers to perfectly clean the berries; but the frictional contact of the herries serves to highly polish the same. After the berries have been treated in the separating-cylinder for about half an hour or sufficient time in which to clean same the latch (Z is released and the head 0 turned over, so as to place chute F below the cylinder or casing. When the chute stands in this position, the berries will be gradually forced therein by the worm conveyers or blades during the continued rotation of the cylinder or casing and discharged into any suitable receptacle for this purpose.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a mixing-cylinder, of a separating-cylinder, means for impartin g rotation to said cylinders, a rotatable head for each cylinder capable of movement independently of the cylinder, a spout carried by each head adapted to be adjusted therewith to discharge material from the mixing-cylinder into the separating-cylinder, and means for holding the heads against movement, substantially as described.

2. In combination substantially as described a mixing-cylinder, means for rotating the same, a separating-cylinder adjacent to the mixing-cylinder, a head formed with an internal gear-ring at one end of the separat= ing-cylinder, gearing between said head and mixing-cylinder, the rotating means for the mixing-cylinder adapted to simultaneously rotate the separating-cylinder, and an independently-rotatable head at the free end of the separating-cylinder adapted to be adjusted to afford an inlet and an outlet for the material to be treated, substantially as described.

In combination substantially as described, a mixer and a separator located therebeneath, independently-rotatable heads at adjacent ends of said mixer and separator arranged in substantial-alinement, and spouts on the heads adapted to be adjusted therewith to discharge material from the mixer into the separator.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

WILLIAM A. HASTINGS. NEAL .T. HARRINGTON.

Witnesses:

N. A. AOKER, D. B. RICHARDS. 

